Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 1

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Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is operated by a large national provider. It is registered to care for up to five children aged between 12 and 17 who have complex needs and have experienced trauma and loss.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted inspected the home on 13 and 14 October 2020. Serious and widespread concerns were identified. As a result, Ofsted took the decision to issue the home with a notice to vary a condition of the registration. Ofsted considered this to be the most appropriate action and believed that reducing numbers from five children to three, on an urgent basis for up to 12 weeks, would give managers and staff the opportunity to reduce the risk of harm that was present in the home. Additionally, Ofsted issued a compliance notice under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has continued to closely monitor the service. A monitoring visit was carried out on 3 November 2020 to review the notice to vary a condition of the registration. This was carried out remotely because two children and some members of staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and compliance notice raised at the inspection on 13 and 14 October 2020 have not been reviewed and therefore remain in place.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, inspectors found that, despite the number of children being reduced to three, children are not safe in the home. This is because there are poor arrangements to manage risk and to ensure the safety of children. As a result of the significant concerns identified, Ofsted made the decision to issue a notice to suspend Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 2 the registration of this home. This took immediate effect from 4 November 2020 until 26 January 2021. Ofsted will review this suspension regularly.

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This monitoring visit

Two children went missing from the home during the night of 31 October 2020 and again on 3 November 2020. Both children are currently COVID-19 positive and are assessed as being at high risk of child sexual exploitation. The children travelled over 30 miles to another children’s home, placing themselves and the public at risk. There was a significant delay in the staff going to collect the children from the other home.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a further decline in effectively safeguarding children since the assurance visit in October. The inspectors found the home to be in a state of chaos. Staff have allowed children to remain in each other’s bedrooms and beds overnight. Strategies used by staff to manage behaviour are not effective, and children remain at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

One child has a risk assessment which states that all phone and social media use should be supervised. This child has had unsupervised access to her mobile phone since 29 October 2020. Furthermore, the police discovered on 31 October 2020 that this child had been sending explicit messages and had arranged to meet a male peer. Staff were not aware of this and failed to demonstrate appropriate professional curiosity or understanding of possible risks of harm to the child. The lack of effective action from staff potentially placed this child at significant risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring visit on 3 November 2020, the responsible individual informed the inspectors that children had not been missing overnight and that one child had been missing on one occasion. Subsequent discussions with the police have established that children have in fact been missing overnight and that one has been missing on three separate occasions, including once overnight. The police have advised Ofsted that one child has returned to the home appearing to be intoxicated on two occasions. Ofsted is concerned that the responsible individual does not have accurate information about the home and children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted continues to have concerns about decisions made to move a new child into the home when the home was unsettled. The lack of consideration to the matching and needs of children has left children not being safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted recognises that two children and some members of staff have tested positive for COVID-19. This has presented additional challenges for staff but has also had an adverse impact on the safety of children. For example, managers informed the inspectors during the monitoring visit that staff are not intervening in incidents as they would normally due to concerns about their own safety. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/02/2020 Full Good 04/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/04/2018 Full Good 30/11/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff protect and promote each child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(ii)(c)(i)) 30/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from—

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Requirement Due date

relationships based on mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; 30/11/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 5 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(b)(d)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

*(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)) 15/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 30/11/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 6 ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i)(ii)) No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised;

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the appropriateness of using bedroom door alarms needs to be fully considered and kept under review 30/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— 30/11/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 7 how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

that within 24 hours of the measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(vii)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Some records may be kept electronically (regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. Electronic records should be held at the individual home in accordance with data protection principles. IT systems should ensure the safe storage of these records, and business continuity planning should be in place to prevent loss or damage to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 8

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Shaw Trust House, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT

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Inspectors

Annemarie Parker, Social Care Inspector Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256135 9 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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